The daily lives of the common people are continuously affected by the decisions of large corporations, more so in the negative than the positive. In 1962, John F. Kennedy delivered a speech at a press conference to criticize the steel companies who had begun to raise the price of their product. While Kennedy used accusatory statements to denounce the steel companies, he also applied repetition and ethos to rally the people together. As Kennedy commenced his speech, he utilized accusatory statements to condemn the steel companies for escalating steel prices. Kennedy implied that these raises in prices are “wholly unjustifiable” and “unnecessary”. This was such a prominent part of his speech that it was the very first accusation he made. His declaration reflects a horrid reputation upon these gluttonous steel corporations. Kennedy gathered that these wolfish companies “handicap” the achievements of the ordinary peoples. Their “ruthless disregard” for the basic regards of the people who make them, Kennedy points out this. His use of the accusative proclamations, …show more content…
Kennedy tied together the differences between the people with the simple statement of “we are”. The broken down wall created from this assembles all the people together. It not only united the common people, but linked the people with Kennedy. Kennedy reinforced the bond of the listeners when he referenced the steel companies as “their”. He wants to create a vast separation between the common peoples and the companies, so that the people will distinguish the true problems that arise from the companies raise in prices. Nonetheless Kennedy continues, by stating his belief of the companies manifesting further complications, which in turn makes it “more difficult” not just for the people, but the nation as a whole. The overall idea that these steel companies could be violating the nation reinforces Kennedy’s message of
He creates a judgemental and disappointed tone when discussing what “a few gigantic corporations have decided to” do rather than what “they could” do. He once again paints this narrative that steel companies don’t act out of public interest, and that the the audience must force them to. The “Steel Workers Union”, “Department of Justice”, “Federal Trade Commission”, and “the Department of Defense” can “be proud” of what they are doing, however, it is not enough. This is key in Kennedy’s speech, because it is the final reason as to why the public needs to retaliate against the recent greedy actions of steel corporations. Kennedy entertains the rights of companies, that their decisions “ought to be freely and privately made.” Therefore, the American people have the right “to expect in return for that freedom, a higher sense of business responsibility for the welfare of their country than has been shown in the last two day.” The shame and disappointment Kennedy portrays convinces the public that they deserve more, that they must act. Kennedy concludes, “Some time ago I asked each American to consider what he would do for his country and I asked the steel companies. In the last 24 hours we had their answers.” His concluding remarks, soured by the condemnation in his diction and tone, ring with a sense of finality. By alluding to a quote from his previous speech on patriotism, he raises the critical question: Is it fair that you sacrifice everything for your country and that steel companies simply refuse to? This statement attacks the nationalism of the steel companies, and brings the ‘us vs. them’ mentality full
He used a very selective vocabulary, purposely using emotionally charged words such as: “wholly unjustifiable and irresponsible defiance” (lines 4-5), “ruthless disregard” (line 82), and “restraint and sacrifice” (lines 14-15). By using words with strong connotation, he powers the emotions of his audience once again directing support for himself and appearing as the calm figurehead amongst the emotional chaos. He also makes his speech very personal by mentioning individual American families, literally using the phrase “every American family” (line 25). He appeals to the strong sense of patriotism in the American public by mentioning the four servicemen who died in Vietnam. Despite the fact that they are almost completely unrelated to the rise in steel prices and, if they were alive, would be unaffected by the rise in price, either. And yet, Kennedy mentions the servicemen to make the situation appear that much more dire. By mentioning the tragic deaths of these men, Kennedy aims to trigger a strong emotional response in his audience that would turn into support for
In paragraph two he states ”when we are confronted with grave crisis in Berlin and Southeast Asia, when we are devoting our energies to economic recovery and stability, when we are asking reservists to leave their homes and families for months on end…” President Kennedy starts each of his statements with “when we are” to address the sacrifices the people are making while the steel companies prioritizes in this dark hour, which shows they don’t care about their nation. He then shows us how this would be worsened even further if the steel companies maintained the high prices. Kennedy also states “It would make it more difficult for American goods to compete in foreign markets, more difficult to withstand competition from foreign imports, and thus more difficult to improve our balance of payments position…” He then repeatedly starts off with the phrase “more difficult.” This repetition, incorporated with facts, proves his point that the steel companies were unpatriotic and greedy because he shows how much trouble and difficulty the rise in steel companies would cause. Besides using the strategy of repeating words and phrases, Kennedy also uses statistics to achieve his argument.
Kennedy, in his speech appeals mostly to logos by using hards facts and statistics. For example, in line 20 he explains how the inflation of steel is affecting “185 million Americans”. He continues using logos throughout his speech when he introduces Sect of Defense McNamara and tells the American people the steel inflation would an “estimated one billion dollars to cost of defenses, at a time when every dollar is needed for national security”. However, this is also an
It was on January 20th 1961 that John F Kennedy gave his inaugural address after winning the presidential race and beating future president Richard Nixon. President, John F Kennedy in his speech, The Inaugural Address, he describes his plans for growth in America. Kennedy’s purpose is unite the people of the U.S. and bring everyone together for the good cause of promoting growth in the country. He creates a very inspirational tone in order to establish a connection with the U.S. people. In his speech Kennedy really used several rhetorical strategies of persuasion to motivate and persuade the U.S. people that they made the right choice in choosing him.
“If a free society can not help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”(Kennedy, 1961) Statements such as these demonstrate how Kennedy appealed to the citizens by simply using reason. The use of logos in his speech was minimal compared to the use of pathos, and ethos.
In conclusion, this speech was structured beautifully. Its use of figurative and expressive language makes it an unforgettable speech. Kennedy does a great job of using pathos, ethos, and logos to reiterate his commitment to the American public as well as discuss expected changes. Given the state of the world at the time of his inauguration, the decision to rely so heavily on pathos and ethos was a wise one which got the job done. His use of the rhetoric triangle effectively conveys Kennedy’s plan for America to not only her citizens, but to the world.
In focusing on the National economy and ending the recession, Kennedy accomplished a meek increase to the minimum wages for workers, during his presidency. But, he lost the confidence of business leaders in 1962, by seeking to rollback what the administration regarded as excessive price increases within the steel trade. Although, he succeeded in his direct objective, this did not come without a price. President Kennedy ultimately, alienated an important source of support by later calling for a large tax cut to grant capital to large corporations, meant for stimulating the economy (Hoagland, 2008).
John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address is a puissant speech that conveys a mighty theme. The steady use of fervent dialect stimulates in the crowd a sense of esteem and obligation, which makes the speech even more impressive. The structure of the diction enhances the ability for all people of the audience to connect. Beginning with an intimate remark and closing with a broad regard, marks the address as both authentic and propelling. Nevertheless, what is most effective is Kennedy’s skill to access the atmosphere of the crowd and examine the circumstances of the juncture that is primarily the cause for the prosperity of this distinguished
In his speech Kennedy uses the approach of Logos to strengthen the idea the African Americans and Caucasian men have not been given equal right and opportunities. The way logos was used in his speech greatly assured the public that action needed to be taken immediately. He provided both reasoning and logic to better forward his point that a change needed to be made. One area specifically he states, “The Negro baby born in America today, regardless of the section of the state in which he is born, has about one-half as much chance of completing a high school”. The statistics that John F Kennedy provides seriously strengthen his argument, with logic and statistics to back up his argument it creates a stronger pull. John F Kennedy also makes the statement “…about one-seventh as much chance of earning $10,000 a year,” showing the difference in wag...
In many ways John F. Kennedy’s decision to have this speech as well as the contents itself, reflected how he was instrumental to success in keeping the public calm. The president could hav...
Kennedy begins his speech about the price increase of steel by acknowledging that these are dark times and bad things are happening everyday. He uses appeal to emotions from line 6 to line 21 in order to unify the nation under a singular thought of opposition for the steel corporations.
During the early 1960’s, the United States was emerging from a recession. Many people were struggling, but some big businesses were taking advantage of the economic distress. On April 11th, 1962, President John F. Kennedy held a news conference to talk about such big businesses, namely, steel companies. President Kennedy criticized these companies for increasing the price of steel by 3.5 percent. By appealing compellingly to logos, effectively to pathos, and rivetingly to ethos, President John F. Kennedy argues that the price increase of steel during the hard times by large companies has been a blatant disregard for their public responsibilities during an emerging recession.
On January 20th, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy gave a speech to the nation, which encompassed a new vision for the country with a new generation. That speech was JFK’s Inaugural Address. As the new 35th president, JFK was the youngest president to enter the oval office at the age of forty-three ("Inaugural Address."). The nation was still in in the process of healing after World War II. In the eyes of the masses, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a breath of fresh air for the American People. He was a youthful president, with his youthful image; he was able to rally the younger generations with a progressive vision. This speech was a message to the nation in which JFK outlines a new direction for The United States by securing it’s freedom, being a competitive nation in all aspects, and rallying the citizens behind the government.
middle of paper ... ... Interchanging between the short sentences and the lengthy sentences grabs the audience’s full attention, permitting Kennedy to persuade them that he qualifies for his position as U.S. President. Hence, through various rhetorical strategies, Kennedy achieves his purpose of gaining the spectators’ favor by stressing major current events that concern the American people. These significant concepts include American patriotism and American diplomacy, stressed when he begins four subsequent paragraphs with the same recurring three words, “Let both sides.”